Herb Gardening Basics and Tips

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If you've always wanted to try herb gardening but you're not sure where to begin, you'll find a wealth of information in my blog. Hi, my name is Gwen Dolan and I've always liked to add herbs to my cooking for seasoning and garnish. I was spending a lot of money buying them so I decided that I could save money by growing my own herbs. In addition to the money I save, fresh herbs taste so much better than the ones that I buy in the store. Before starting my garden I read several books and I talked to a few people I know who already have herb gardens. By researching the basics beforehand I was able to have a successful herb garden that produces all the herbs I need. This blog is for those who also want to grow a beautiful herb garden in their home.

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The 3 Main Cast Stone Manufacturing Processes You Have To Choose From

The production of cast stone is a difficult process and manufacturers have to be careful to ensure that the finished product is both aesthetically pleasing and structurally robust. If you're interested in sourcing cast stone, you have a number of options to choose from:

Semi-Dry Cast

The most common and most basic manufacturing method is semi-dry casting. With this method, aggregate is compacted with a low water content and the mixture is shaped into moulds. The low water content means that the finished product has a rather grainy texture, which can give a very pleasing surface on the components.

One of the main advantages of semi-dry casting is the vast number of components that can be constructed in a short period of time. Due to the low water content used in the mixture, the compaction process is relatively pain-free and the mould can be refilled a number of times in one day. This makes semi-dry casting a great method for constructing a number of similar parts, such as headstones or pillars.

Once the stone has been allowed to cure, a number of different finishes can be applied in order to improve the aesthetics of the element, such as etching into the material or shot blasting to clean the surface.

Wet-Cast

Wet-cast manufacturing is a slower process that involves a much higher moisture content than semi-dry casting. This higher moisture content means that a longer period of time is required in order to allow the mixture to achieve a suitable consistency to be moulded into a component or structure. This longer period of curing can be particularly beneficial, though, as it allows the decorative aggregate to blend into the entire unit as opposed to only being on the outer surface.

Due to the high water content in wet-cast mixtures, the material naturally flows much more freely than semi-dry mixtures. As such, manufacturers are able to complete much larger structural elements than the semi-dry process and can also install components that allow the part to be lifted into place.

Fibre-reinforced Casting

When creating cast stone products, it is possible to incorporate structural reinforcement into the component. Stone is naturally very good in compression, but the granular texture of the material means that it does not respond well in tension. This is mitigated by incorporating fibre reinforcement into the mixture before casting into a mould. The mixture is left to cast around the fibres, creating a robust material that is able to take tensile loads with ease.